Guide to the John J. Reynolds Papers

This finding aid describes the John J. Reynolds Papers, part of the NPS History Collection. To search this guide for names, places, key words, or phrases enter Ctrl F on your keyboard (command key + F key on a Mac). Request an in-person research appointment or get more information by contacting the archivist.

John J. Reynolds (NPS History Collection, HFCA 1607)

Collection Overview

Collection Number: HFCA 1645 (Series I.C.2)

Creator: Reynolds, John J. (1942-)

Title: John J. Reynolds Papers

Dates: 1941-2020 (bulk dates: 1977-2007)

Extent: 17.8 LF

Language of Materials: English

Digitized Copies: This collection has not been digitized.

Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open to research use.

Conditions Governing Use and Reproduction: See the NPS general copyright & restrictions information.

Provenance: Donated to NPS History Collection by John J. Reynolds in several transactions between 2017 and 2020.

Processing Note: Processed by Casey Oehler in 2020. The finding aid was updated for the internet by Eleanore Kohorn in November 2025.

Rights Statements for Archival Description: This guide is in the public domain.

Preferred Citation: John J. Reynolds Papers, NPS History Collection (HFCA 1645)

Location of Repository: NPS History Collection, Harpers Ferry Center, PO Box 50, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

Related Materials:

• Assembled Historic Records of the National Park Service (HFCA 1645), NPS History Collection
• National Park Service Oral History Collection (HFCA 1817), NPS History Collection
• Yosemite Planning Team Records (1975-1978), Yosemite National Park Archives.
• Oral History Collection, Flight 93 National Memorial Archives.
• Records of NPS Directors, National Archives and Records Administration (RG 79.3.2)
• John J. Reynolds’ license plate, uniform, uniform accessories, and other objects are in the NPS History Collection.

Biographical Note

John J. Reynolds was born in Livingston, Montana, in 1942. At the time, his father, Harvey B. Reynolds, worked as a park ranger at Yellowstone National Park. Reynolds lived in three park units growing up. He spent the first eight years of his life in Yellowstone, living in multiple locations across the park. In 1950, the family moved to Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial, where his father was chief ranger. They moved again, three years later, when his father became superintendent of Pipestone National Monument. At thirteen, Reynolds moved east to attend Phillips Exeter Academy, a private boarding school in New Hampshire. The summer before he left for school, his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where his father worked at the NPS Midwest Regional Office. Reynolds graduated in 1960 with his preparatory high school diploma from Exeter.

Reynolds graduated from Iowa State University in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. He began working for the NPS during the summers while at university. In the summer of 1961, Reynolds worked at Yellowstone as laborer on the blister rust eradication crew. He spent the following two summers at Yellowstone, first as a Western Office Design and Construction (WODC) student assistant and then as a WODC student trainee. As a student, Reynolds assisted construction supervisors working on a variety of construction problems. The summer after graduation, Reynolds worked as a WODC student trainee at the design office in San Francisco. During graduate school in the summer of 1965, he worked as a WODC student trainee at what would become Guadalupe Mountains National Park. At Guadalupe, Reynolds assisted in planning for a road development project. In 1966, he completed a Master of Landscape Architecture from the State University College of Forestry at Syracuse University. Following graduation, Reynolds was converted to a permanent full-time landscape architect at the Office of Planning in Philadelphia.

From 1966 to 1974 Reynolds worked as an NPS landscape architect at various locations, including Lakewood, CO, San Francisco CA, Anchorage AK, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, PA. He served as a landscape architect/planner and/or team captain on many long-range plans for parks such as Cape Cod National Seashore, Acadia National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Saratoga National Historical Park, and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. From 1972 to 1973, Reynolds served on the Alaska Task Force as a team captain. He led new area studies for two new Alaska parks, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Kobuk Valley National Park, and the expansion of Denali National Park. He also served as co-lead for the preparation of draft environmental impact statements for all park, refuge, and wild & scenic river proposals under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

In 1975 Reynolds was appointed team captain of the Yosemite Planning Team leading the creation of the park’s general management plan. The resulting Yosemite Plan was seen as “the epitome of respectful public involvement” and would later influence Reynolds’ planning work at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (Reynolds, 2015). From 1977 to 1979 he served as chief of the Branch of Planning, Midwest-Rocky Mountain Team based out of the Denver Service Center. Reynolds oversaw the production of long-range management and development plans, and environmental impact statements for the Midwest and Rocky Mountain Regions. During his tenure, Reynolds chaired a task force charged with writing the first planning guidelines for the NPS to incorporate requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.

From 1979 to 1984 Reynolds served as one of two assistant superintendents of the new Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. He oversaw resource management activities, long-range development, and land acquisition planning. He also worked as liaison with over 150 affected agencies. In June 1983 Reynolds became acting superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and received numerous local endorsements for the superintendent position.

In 1984 Reynolds was appointed superintendent of North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. In this role, he led the preparation of a new general management plan making the three adjacent parks current with NPS policy. Notably, the ski area at Ruby Mountain and the development, consisting of concessions, campgrounds, lodges, and boat ramps, on Ross Lake were removed. Reynolds led the effort to create wilderness protection for the park complex. His efforts contributed to the Washington Park Wilderness Act 1988 that designated wildness within Olympic National Park, Mount Rainer National Park, and North Cascades National Park Complex. At Reynolds suggestion, the wilderness lands within the North Cascades National Park Complex are officially known as the Stephen Mather Wilderness. The Act also removed the authority to have hydropower developments and logging in the two national recreation areas. In 1986 Reynolds founded the North Cascades Institute, an educational non-profit partner to the NPS and U.S. Forest Service and served as the founding board president in 1987.

Reynolds left North Cascades National Park in 1988 to serve as the assistant director of design and construction at the Denver Service Center (DSC). In this role, he managed DSC and provided professional leadership for design and construction professionals service wide. During his tenure at DSC, Reynolds created the NPS Sustainable Design Initiative and led production of the “National Park Service Guidelines for Sustainable Design” book.

In 1993 Reynolds was appointed director of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he provided leadership to park areas in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland and to other NPS programs in a larger 13-state area. After seven months in this role, Reynolds was appointed deputy director of the NPS in 1993.

As deputy director under Roger G. Kennedy, he oversaw the day-to-day management and operations as the NPS underwent a large reorganization effort to restructure its field operations and downsize central offices. He chaired the National Leadership Council. He also testified before Congress either in support or in place of the director and provided service wide leadership during the government shutdown in the winter of 1995 and 1996.

From November 1966 to May 1997, Reynolds served as interim general manager of the Presidio before becoming the Pacific West Regional director, based in San Francisco, CA.

In that position he provided leadership to 55 national parks in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii, and Pacific Island Territories. Notably, he was the lead official representing the NPS and the Department of the Interior in the negotiations to create a reservation for the Timbisha Shoshone Indian Tribe of Death Valley and the surrounding areas. A part of the reservation was created out of Death Valley National Park and the resulting Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act was passed 2000.

Throughout his career, Reynolds contributed to the broader field of conservation. From 1995 to2001 Reynolds served as a United States delegate to the World Heritage Committee traveling to France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Germany. Reynolds carried out his first international assignment in 1982 in Saudi Arabia, where he was a member of a team tasked with planning a new park. In 1990 Reynolds was the head of party of the team that went to India to instruct at the Indo-US Workshop on Management of Marine Protected Areas. The following year, he served as head of party of the team that went to Poland to assess the needs of three national parks and to propose future U.S. assistance. That same year, in England, he studied the English system of natural resource protection. In 1994 Reynolds served as the US Head of Delegation to renew the bilateral cooperative agreement with the Bahamas and spoke at a sustainability conference in Venezuela. He traveled to Israel in 1995 to advance Israeli-Jordanian cooperation in international park and tourism endeavors. In 1996 Reynolds served as the head of party in Russia consulting on possible US assistance to Russian park and reserves. The following year he participated on the permanent US/Japan panel on parks and natural resources. From 1995 to2001 he served as a United States delegate to the World Heritage Committee and was the head of the delegation for three years.

Reynolds also served on boards and committees for non-profit conservation organizations and professional landscape architecture associations. In 1986 he served as program chair of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Annual Meeting and was elected fellow of the ASLA in 1990. In 1991 he was elected to the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administrators. From 1992 to 1993 Reynolds served as the chair of the ASLA task force on environmental quality. He served as a member of the board of directors of the Landscape Architecture Foundation from 1994 to 2000 and president of the board of directors of the Landscape Architecture Foundation from 1996 to 1997.

Reynolds retired from the NPS in 2002 after a distinguished career of 40 years of service. He is recognized a pioneer in environmental leadership and sustainable design practices and for championing international conservation efforts. He has received several awards for his innovative work in the NPS and in the field of landscape architecture, including the Iowa State University College of Design Achievement Award (1990), the Department of the Interior Meritorious Serve Award (1994), the Department of the Interior Distinguished Service Award (2000), and the American Society of Landscape Architects LaGasse Medal (2002).

After retirement Reynolds continued to dedicate himself to park conservation. From 2002 to 2005, he worked as a senior fellow with the National Park Foundation (NPF), participating in program planning and serving as liaison to the NPS for land acquisition, funding, and grant-making efforts. In 2003 Reynolds traveled to Germany to present and discuss marketing and branding of parks at a meeting of all German National Park Superintendents and EUROPARC Germany. From 2005 to2007 he was the executive vice President for park grants and strategic alliances for NPF, responsible for growing and guiding the NPF’s philanthropy initiatives, directing all grants and program activities, managing funds, and developing new alliances. From 2007 to 2009 the Student Conservation Association (SCA) employed him as senior advisor for government relations. Reynolds worked as a consultant for the National Parks Second Century Commission (2009-2010), Pew Charitable Trust (2010), Fort Monroe Authority (2010-2011, 2015), and New York City/Gateway NRA Partnership Creation (2012).

Reynolds served on numerous boards and committees. He chaired the Flight 93 National Memorial Federal Advisory Commission (2003-2013) and was a founding board member of the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial (2009-2010). He served as founding member of the board of directors for Chesapeake Conservancy (2008-2012) and as a member of the origination’s president’s council from 2012 to2018. Reynolds work in the Chesapeake region also included chairing the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Advisory Council (2008-2018), serving as the Virginia Citizen Representative to the Chesapeake Bay Commission (2010-2016), and serving on the steering committee of the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership (2015-2020). Additionally, Reynolds served as the Representative of the Secretary of the Interior to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors (2009-2017), a founding board member of Global Parks (2009-2012), a member of the Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Commission (2012-2014), a member of the California State Parks Forward Commission (2013-2018), and a member of the Trust for the National Mall’s design advisory committee (2014-2016). As of 2020 Reynolds serves as a member of the North Cascades Institute’s advisory council, Fort Monroe Authority’s board of directors, and Chesapeake Conservancy’s board of directors.

National parks are a Reynolds family tradition and value. His father served 30-plus years with the NPS, beginning as a park ranger in Yellowstone and retiring in 1973 as the chief of the Office of Finance and Management Control Pacific Northwest Regional Office. His brother Robert W. Reynolds worked for the NPS from 1971 to1999, serving as superintendent for eleven parks. Reynolds’ son Michael T. Reynolds is a third generation NPS career employee who was appointed NPS deputy director in 2016 and served as acting director from January 2017 to January 2018.

Sources:

Chesapeake Conservancy. "John J. Reynolds." 2019. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/teams/john-j-reynolds/.

The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. "Centennial Biographies: Robert W. (Bob) Reynolds." n.d. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://protectnps.org/centennial-biographies-2/robert-w-bob-reynolds/.

National Park Service. "14th National Park Service Director Roger G. Kennedy." 2018. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://www.nps.gov/articles/director-roger-kennedy.htm.

National Park Service. "Directors of the National Park Service." History eLibrary. 2020. Accessed July 10, 2026. http://npshistory.com/publications/directors/index.htm.

National Park Service. "Mike Reynolds Names NPS Regional Director of Department of the Interior Lower Colorado Basin, Upper Colorado Basin, and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf Regions." 2019. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/mike-reynolds-named-nps-regional-director-of-doi-regions-6-8.htm.

National Park Service History Collection. Assembled Historic Records of the National Park Service. HFCA 1645. Series I: Records of the NPS Director’s Office, Subseries C: Records of the NPS Deputy Directors, Sub-subseries 2: Records of John J. Reynolds."

The National Park Foundation Names John J. Reynolds Executive Vice President, Park Grants & Strategic Alliances." Business Wire, October 12, 2005. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20051012005458/en/National-Park-Foundation-Names-John-J.-Reynolds.

Presidio Trust. "John J. Reynolds Appointed to Presidio Trust Board of Directors." 2009. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://www.presidio.gov/presidio-trust/press/john-j-reynolds-appointed-to-presidio-trust-board-of-directors.

Presidio Trust. "PlaceMakers: John Reynolds Talks about the Presidio and the National Park Service Centennial." 2016. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://www.presidio.gov/blog/placemakers-john-reynolds-talks-the-presidio-and-our-national-parks.

Reynolds, John. "Formulations of A Park Planner." In A Touch of Wilderness: Oral Histories on the Formation of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, edited by Leonard Pitt, 346. Los Angeles: National Park Service, 2015.

Scope and Content Note

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, NPS publications, news clippings, conference publications, magazine articles, speeches, press releases, and travel documents from Reynold’s career spanning from 1962 to 2002, as well as some of his post-retirement work advocating for parks and conservation. Records primarily reflect Reynolds’ tenure as the deputy director of the NPS (1993-1996), regional director of the Pacific West Region (1997-2002), and his post NPS retirement activities (2002-2007). The National Leadership Council meeting records provide a detailed and virtually complete history of that management team from 1993 to 2002. Historical files, calendars, notebooks, and meeting cards detail his assignments and appointments, as well as the management issues he addressed. A small number of photographs and slides, a scrapbook, video tapes, and a couple of books autographed to him by the authors are also present. Early career records, job applications and resumes are included, as are more personal correspondence and notes of congratulations following promotions and retirement.

Arrangement

Organized into five series as follows:

Series I: National Leadership Council Meeting Files, 1993-2002

Series II: Historical Files, 1984-2017

Series III: Subject Files, 1941-2020

Series IV: Meeting Cards, 1993-2002

Series V: Calendars, 1977-2007

Series VI: Notebooks, 1978-2011

Series VII: Photographs and Scrapbook, 1948-2005, undated

Series I: National Leadership Council Meeting Files, 1993-2002

Extent of the series: 3.0 LF

Administrative History Note

Prior to establishment of the National Leadership Council (NLC) in 1995, NPS executive meetings were called regional directors’ meetings, or directorate meetings, and were primarily focused on discussions of field operations and management of parks. In 1995 and 1996 the executive leadership of the NPS was reorganized. The NLC reflected this change, focusing on the leadership of the NPS rather than operational considerations. The transition to the new NLC approach occurred between 1995 and 2000. Towards the end of that period, two major decisions were made that exemplified the new approach. In 1999, the NLC approved the Natural Resources Challenge, an action plan for numerous improvements to natural resource stewardship. Second, it developed Discovery 2000, a national conference that solidified the concept of consensus-based executive leadership.

Following Discovery 2000, the NLC worked with the NPS Advisory Board to develop their Rethinking the NPS report. Reynolds notes in a history of the NLC he prepared c. 2002 that, as a result, the NLC was “now widely viewed in the field as something of a model in how a future-oriented, learning organization leadership body should operate.” The first volume of the NLC Journal (2000) notes that the NLC “is composed of the Director, Deputy Directors, Associate Directors and Regional Directors” and “meets quarterly to consult on major policy and program issues confronting the organization.”

The NLC membership expanded in 2011 to include the director, both deputy directors, chief of staff, comptroller, all regional directors, all associate and assistant directors, all SES superintendents, the Albright and Bevinetto fellows, one superintendent from each grade, and one program lead from each associate directorate. The NLC was chaired by the deputy director of Operations, met twice a year in Washington, D.C., and defined itself as “a representative body of managers from the National Park Service which meets to achieve alignment, consultation, and coordination regarding the issues facing the National Park Service…[it is] not a decision making body, but provides advice, input and opportunity for debate and open analysis of issues.”

Sources:

NPS. The Natural Resource Challenge: The National Park Service’s action plan for natural resources. http://npshistory.com/publications/nr-general/nrc/brochure.pdf

NPS. 2000. NLC Journal. Volume 1, Number 1. (HFCA 1645).NPS. 2011. Revised NPS National Leadership Council and Decision Making Structure. https://www.nps.gov/policy/nlc/NLClist.pdf

Reynolds, J. 2002. Brief History of the National Leadership Council. (HFCA 1645).

Scope and Content Note

NPS executive directorate meeting (1993-1994) and National Leadership Council Meeting (NLC) records from 1995 through 2002. Documents include NLC meeting books containing meeting agendas and supporting documentation, reports, memoranda, meeting minutes, action plans, strategic plans, and status updates. Reynolds’ notes and correspondence are present and include a history of the NLC he wrote ca. 2002. The “NLC Journal” from 2000 to 2001 are also included.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Container List

BOX 01

Folder 01: 1993, September, Directorate Meeting

Folder 02: 1993, December, Directorate Meeting

Folder 03: 1994, January, Directorate Meeting

Folder 04: 1994, March, Directorate Meeting

Folder 05: 1994, April–July

Folder 06: 1994, June, Directorate Meeting

Folder 07: 1994, November

Folders 08-09: 1995, January

BOX 02

Folder 01: 1995, March

Folders 02-03: 1995, June

Folder 04: 1995, June, Background Material RE: Selection and Qualifications for Superintendents

Folder 05: 1995, September

Folder 06: 1995, October–November

BOX 03

Folder 01: 1996, January

Folders 02-03: 1996, May, Meeting Book

Folders 04-05: 1996, August, Meeting Book

Folder 06: 1996, November, Meeting Book

BOX 04

Folder 01: 1997, January, Meeting Book

Folders 02-03: 1997, April–May, Meeting Book

Folder 04: 1997, August, Meeting Book

Folder 05: 1997, October

Folder 06: 1997, December

BOX 05

Folders 01-02: 1998, April, Meeting Book

Folder 03: 1998, AugustFolder 04: 1998, September, Meeting BookFolder 05: 1998, December, Meeting Book

Folders 06-07: 1999, March, Meeting Book

BOX 06

Folder 01: 1999, July

Folder 02: 2000, March, Meeting Book

Folders 03-04: 2000, June, Meeting Book

Folder 05: 2000, November–December, Meeting Book

Folder 06: 2000–2001, NLC Journal

Folder 07: 2001, March

Folder 08: 2001, May–June, Meeting Book

Folder 09: 2001, August, Meeting Book

BOX 07

Folder 01: 2001, October, Meeting Book

Folder 02: 2001, December, Meeting Book

Folder 03: 2002, February, Meeting Book

Folders 04-05: 2002, June, Meeting Book

Folder 06: 2002, Brief History of the National Leadership Council

OS BOX 01

This box contains oversize material separated from across Series I.

Navigate back to collection overview.

Series II: Historical Files, 1984-2017

Extent of the series: 4.0 LF

Scope and Content Note

Records assembled and designated as “historical files” by Reynolds, including memoranda, correspondence, program pamphlets, magazines, magazine articles, newspaper clippings, conference publications, NPS publications, press releases, meeting minutes, letters, cards, speeches, photos, notes, cartoons, name tags, and certificates. Materials date from 1984 to 2017 but most correspond to Reynolds’ tenure as NPS deputy director (1993-1996). Subjects include personnel appointments around the NPS, the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA), Reynold’s career appointments, and his retirement. Reynolds’ 1995 government shutdown memo and responses are of particular note. Other subjects of note include Reynolds’ negotiations for Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act (2000) and his role as chairman of the Flight 93 National Memorial Advisory Commission. Correspondence with superintendents, assistant superintendents, and regional directors, as well as and NPS partners, is primarily professional but includes personal notes as well. Publications include Director’s Bulletin Board and volumes of Courier Newsmagazine of the National Park Service.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Container List

BOX 01

Folders 01-03: 1984–1992

Folder 04: 1991, September

Folder 05: 1992, May

Folder 06: 1992, December

Folders 07-09: 1993

Folder 10: 1993, January–1994, January

BOX 02

Folder 01: 1993, February–November

Folders 02-03: 1993, July–2002, July

Folder 04: 1993, August–October

Folder 05: 1993, October–1994, February

Folder 06: 1994

Folders 07-08: 1994, January–February

BOX 03

Folder 01: 1994, March

Folder 02: 1994, May–June

Folder 03: 1994, June

Folders 04-06: 1994, July–December

BOX 04

Folder 01: 1994, September–November

Folders 02-05: 1994, November–1996, January

Folders 06-08: 1995

BOX 05

Folders 01-02: 1995, January–June

Folders 03-04: 1995, March–May

Folder 05: 1995, July–October

Folder 06: 1995, November–December

Folder 07: 1995, December, Shutdown, Independence National Historical Park

Folder 08: 1995, December–1996, January, Shutdown, Arizona Memorial, Big Bend, Carlsbad, Golden Gate, Mount Rushmore, Yosemite, Virgin Islands

Folder 09: 1995, December–1996, January, Shutdown, General

BOX 06

Folder 01 :1995, December–1996, January, Shutdown, Grand Canyon National Park

Folder 02: 1995, December 29–1996, January 25, Shutdown Memo and Replies

Folders 03-06: 1996

Folder 07: 1996, January–March

BOX 07

Folder 01: 1996, April

Folder 02: 1996, May

Folder 03: 1996, May–June

Folder 04: 1996, July

Folder 05: 1996, August

Folder 06: 1996, September

Folder 07: 1996, October

Folder 08: 1996, December–1998, June

Folder 09: 1997–2001, Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act Negotiations

Folder 10: 1998, February–1999, June

Folder 11: 1998, October–2000, September

BOX 08

Folder 01: 1999, March–September

Folders 02-03: 2001–2017, September 11, 2001 and Flight 93 National Memorial

Folder 04: 2002–2004, January

Folder 05: 2002, February–2003

Folders 06-08: 2003–2005, Flight 93 National Memorial

BOX 09

Folder 01: 2004, March–December

Folder 02: 2005, January–September

Folder 03: 2005, October–2006, December

Folder 04: 2006, August–2007, December

OS BOX 01

This box contains oversize material separated across Series II.

PHOTO BOX 01

This box contains color photographs separated from across Series II.

Navigate back to collection overview.

Series III: Subject Files, 1941-2020

Extent of the series: 4.9 LF

Scope and Content Note

Records assembled and designated as “subject files” by Reynolds, including memoranda, correspondence, program pamphlets, magazines, magazine articles, newspaper clippings, conference publications, NPS publications, reports, meeting minutes, letters, cards, speeches, slides, photos, notes, poems, notebooks, travel documents, cartoons, certificates, applications and resumes, books, a VHS Video, and one album of letters. Materials date from 1941 to 2017 but most correspond to the mid to later portions of Reynolds’ career with the NPS (1983-2002). Subjects include conferences and meetings, international assignments, planning and design, reorganization of the NPS, retirement, post-retirement, personal records, and speeches. Reynolds’ work on the Alaska Task Force (1972-1975), 21st Century Task Force (1989-1990), the NPS Morale Survey (1989-1990), and the Training Task Force (1994-1995) are also documented. Reynolds’ appointments most fully covered are his time as regional director for the Pacific West Region (1997-2002), deputy director of the NPS (1993-1996), assistant director of design and construction at the Denver Service Center (1988-1992), and superintendent North Cascades National Park (1984-1988).

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by topic.

Container List

BOX 01

Folder 01: 21st Century Task Force, 1989-1990

Folder 02: Alaska Task Force, 1972-1975, undated

Folder 03: Conferences and Meetings: 17th United States/Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources Panel Meeting, 1997

Folder 04: Certificates and Awards: John and Harvey Reynolds, 1966-2003

Folder 05: Conferences and Meetings: 75th Anniversary Symposium, Vail Agenda, 1991-1992

Folder 06: Conferences and Meetings: Discovery 2000 Conference, 2000

Folder 07: Conferences and Meetings: Indo-US Workshop on Management of Marine Protected Areas, 1990

Folder 08: Conferences and Meetings: North Cascades Ecosystem, 1994

Folder 09: Conferences and Meetings: NPS Interpretation and Education Evaluation Summit, 2006

Folder 10: Conferences and Meetings: Regional Directors and Deputy Regional Directors Meetings, 1999-2001

Folder 11: Conferences and Meetings: Regional Directors Meeting, 1998

Folder 12: Eau De Retreat, 1990

Folder 13: Hartzog Conversation, 2006

Folder 14: Harvey B. Reynolds, Commemoration of 34 Years of Service, 1973

BOX 02

Folder 01: International Assignments: Bahamas, 1995, undated

Folder 02: International Assignments: Israel, 1995

Folder 03: International Assignments: Poland, 1991

Folder 04: International Assignments: Russia, 1996

Folder 05: International Assignments: Saudi Arabia, 1982

Folder 06: Landscape Architecture Foundation, 1997-1998

Folder 07: Media Interviews (Reynolds’ Quotes), 1986-1995

Folder 08: Morale Survey, 1989-1990 [1 of 2]

BOX 03

Folder 01: Morale Survey, 1989-1990 [2 of 2]

Folder 02: NPS Course: Cultural Resources Law and Policy for Managers, 2003

Folder 03: Personal: Applications and Resumes, 1962-2020, undated

Folder 04: Personal: Congratulatory Notes and Letters, 1977-2003, undated

Folder 05: Personal: Deputy Director, 1993

Folder 06: Personal: Deputy Director Farewell Gathering, 1996

Folder 07: Personal: Mid-Atlantic Regional Director, 1992, undated

BOX 04

Folder 01: Personal: Personnel Actions, 1962-1996

Folder 02: Personal: Phil Frank Letters RE: Fort Baker, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 2000

Folder 03: Personal: Regional Director Pacific West Region, 1996

Folder 04: Personal: Superintendent Endorsements, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 1983

Folder 05: Personal: Superintendent North Cascades National Park, 1984

Folder 06: Planning and Design: Development Concept, Boulder Beach Complex, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 1972

Folder 07: Planning and Design: Development Concept, Scotty’s Castle, Death Valley National Monument, 1972

Folder 08: Planning and Design: History of Design and Construction Service Center, 1969-1971, undated

Folder 09: Planning and Design: NPS Design Training, 1990-1992

Folder 10: Planning and Design: NPS Planning History, 1965-1991, undated

BOX 05

Folders 01-02: Planning and Design: Philosophy of NPS Design, 1987-1995, undated

Folder 03: Planning and Design: Planning Beyond Park Boundaries, 1988-1990, undated

Folders 04-06: Planning and Design: Sustainable Design, 1991-2009, undated

BOX 06

Folders 01-02: Planning and Design: Yosemite Planning, 1974-2001

Folder 03: Post-Retirement: Captain John Smith National Historic Trail Advisory Council, 2008-2018

Folder 04: Post-Retirement: Chesapeake Bay Commission, 2010-2016

Folder 05: Post-Retirement: Contract with National Parks Conservation Association, Second Century Commission, Gateway, 2008-2012

Folder 06: Post-Retirement: Contract with Pew Trust, Katahdin North Woods Study, 2010

Folder 07: Post-Retirement: Employment with National Park Foundation, 2002-2007

Folder 08: Post-Retirement: Vth The World Conservation Union (IUCN) World Parks Congress, 2003-2004

Folder 09: Publications: “Anyhow It Was Fun,” An Excerpt from William Bowen’s Autobiography, 1993

Folder 10: Publications: “Oh, Ranger!” 1941

Folder 11: Publications: “Origins of National Park Service Administration of Historic Sites,” 1971

Folder 12: Publications: “Preserving Nature in the National Parks: A History,” 1997

Folder 13: Publications: “The Preparation of Master Plans for Resource Based Outdoor Recreation Areas,” Reynolds’ Thesis, 1966

Folder 14: Reorganization of NPS: Consolidation of Personnel Function, 1993-1994

Folder 15: Reorganization of NPS: Human Recourses Program, 1993

Folder 16: Reorganization of NPS: “Operation Future” Video, 1994

Folder 17: Reorganization of NPS: Photographs of NPS Streamlining Team, 1994

Folder 18: Reorganization of NPS: Roger Kennedy “White Paper,” 1993

BOX 07

Folder 01: Reorganization of NPS: Restructuring Results, 1995

Folder 02: Reorganization of NPS: Streamlining, 1993-1994

Folder 03: Retirement: Certificates, Cards, Letters, Retirement Party Materials, 2001-2002

Folder 04: Retirement: Emails, 2002

Folder 05: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 1979, undated

Folder 06: Senior Executive Service (SES), 1993

Folders 07-08: Speeches, 1989-1996

BOX 08

Folder 01: Speeches, 1997-2000

Folders 02-03: Speeches, 2001-2017

Folder 04: Speeches: Outline and Background Material National Park Conservation Association November 1990, 1989-1990

Folder 05: Speeches: Outline “The State of the NPS: A Short History of the Past 3 Years, A Snapshot of Today and Some Thoughts for the Future,” Superintendent Conferences, San Antonio, National Capital, Portland, Philadelphia, 1996

Folders 06-08: Speeches: “Setting the Stage for the Future of Yosemite and Other Natural Areas,” Yosemite 100th Symposium October 1990, 1988-1990

Folder 09: Speeches: Sustainable Design, 1993, undated

Folder 10: Training Task Force, 1994-1995

BOX 09

Folder 01: World Heritage: Berlin, 1995

Folders 02-03: World Heritage: General, 1995-2020

Folder 04: World Heritage: Peter Stott Essays, “The World Heritage Convention and the National Park Service, 2011-2013

Folder 05: World Heritage: Site Mangers Meeting, 2002-2003

MEDIA BOX 01

This box contains VHS tapes separated from across in Series III.

OS BOX 01

This box contains books separated from across Series III.

OS BOX 02

This box contains oversized materials separated from across Series III.

PHOTO BOX 01

This box contains slides and color photographs separated from Series III.

PHOTO BOX 02

This box contains black-and-white photographs separated from across Series III.

Navigate back to collection overview.

Series IV: Meeting Cards, 1993-2002

Extent of the series: 0.5 LF

Scope and Content Note

Cards recording Reynold’s daily schedule, created each day by his secretaries with his appointments for the day. The cards are sized to fit into his shirt pocket, and he carried them to keep his schedule. They span Reynold’s tenure as deputy director (1993-1996), manager of the Presidio Project (1997), and regional director for the Pacific West Region (1997-2002). The time span also includes several of Reynolds’ official foreign assignments (Venezuela in 1994, Bahamas in 1994, Israel in 1995, USSR in 1996, and Japan in 1997) and his tenure as a United States delegate to the World Heritage Committee (1995-2001). Some cards have hand corrections to reflect his schedule or meeting changes.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date.

Container List

BOX 01

Folder 01: 1993, June 23–November 30

Folder 02: 1993, December 1–December 28

Folder 03: 1994, January 3–April 26

Folder 04: 1994, May 4–December 29

Folder 05: 1995, January 4–February 28

Folder 06: 1995, March 1–July 31

Folder 07: 1995, August 1–December 19

Folder 08: 1996, January 19–May 13

Folder 09: 1996, May 17–October 18

Folder 10: 1996, October 23–December 30

Folder 11: 1997, January 2–May 8

Folder 12: 1997, May 29–December 19

Folder 13: 1998, January 12–December 14

Folder 14: 1999, January 4–December 13

Folder 15: 2000, January 10–December 14

Folder 16: 2001, January 2–December 18

Folder 17: 2002, January 9–August 1

Navigate back to collection overview.

Series V: Calendars, 1977-2007

Extent of the series: 2.0 LF

Scope and Content Note

Calendars used by Reynolds to mark both professional and personal appointments, spanning his tenure as chief of the Branch of Planning Midwest-Rocky Mountain Team at Denver Service Center (1977-1979), assistant superintendent Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (1979-1984), superintendent North Cascades National Park (1984-1988), assistant director for design and construction at the Denver Service Center (1988-1992), director Mid-Atlantic Region (1993), NPS deputy director (1993-1996), manager of the Presidio Project (1997), and regional director of the Pacific West Region (1997-2002). The time span includes several of Reynolds’ official foreign assignments (Saudi Arabia 1982, India 1990, Poland 1991, England 1991, Venezuela 1994, Bahamas 1994, Israel 1995, USSR 1996, Japan 1997, and Germany 2003) and his tenure as a United States delegate to the World Heritage Committee (1995-2001). Calendars from his post-retirement years when Reynolds worked for the National Park Foundation (2002-2007) are also included. There are no calendars for 1997 and 2006.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by year.

Container List

BOX 01

Folder 01: 1977

Folders 02-03: 1978

Folder 04: 1979

Folder 05: 1980

Folder 06: 1981

Folder 07: 1982

BOX 02

Folder 01: 1983

Folder 02: 1984

Folder 03: 1985

Folder 04: 1986

Folder 05: 1987

Folder 06: 1988

Folders 07-08: 1989

BOX 03

Folder 01: 1990

Folder 02: 1991

Folder 03: 1992

Folder 04: 1993

Folder 05: 1993-1994

Folder 06: 1994

BOX 04

Folder 01: 1995

Folder 02: 1996

Folder 03: 1998

Folder 04: 1999

Folder 05: 2000

Folder 06: 2001

Folder 07: 2002

Folder 08: 2003

Folder 09: 2004

Folder 10: 2005

Folder 11: 2007

Folder 12: 2008

Folder 13: 2009

BOX 05

Folder 01: 2010

Folder 02: 2011

Folder 03: 2012

Folder 04: 2013

Folder 05: 2014

Folder 06: 2015

Navigate back to collection overview.

Series VI: Notebooks, 1978-2011

Volume of the series: 2.7 LF

Scope and Content Note

Reynolds’ notebooks recording meetings, notes, and his comments on events. The notebooks also contain phone numbers, to-do lists, business cards, and plane tickets. They document discussions with NPS colleagues, two of the most frequent being Denis “Deny” Galvin and Robert “Bob” Stanton, and give insight to Reynolds’ projects.

Notable projects and meetings with parks mentioned in Reynolds’ notebooks from his tenure as chief of the Branch of Planning Midwest-Rocky Mountain Team at Denver Service Center (1977-1979) include the Afro-American Study of Significance, Wilberforce Ohio, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and the Glacier National Park Transportation Study. Reynolds’ notebooks as assistant superintendent Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (1979-1984) contain notes on the park’s planning efforts and synergy program, public considerations, Reynolds’ liaison activities, and squad meetings. The notebooks from Reynolds’ tenure as superintendent North Cascades National Park (1984-1988) cover community council meetings, the Pacific Northwest superintendents’ conference, the Denver/Ft. Collins planning course, and the wilderness management steering committee.

Projects recorded in Reynolds’ notebooks as assistant director of design and construction at the Denver Service Center (1988-1992) include his trip to Poland, the value engineering workshop, 21st Century Task Force, Gateway National Recreation Area visitor use and enjoyment working group, Lowell National Historical Park’s Boot Mill, the Presidio, the White House, the design and construction management task force, and the 75th anniversary team. Also included are notes on a Senate meeting, a briefing for a House appropriations hearing, personnel actions, and Reynolds’ thoughts on sustainable design. The notebooks from Reynolds’ tenure as director Mid-Atlantic Region (1993) record various meetings on projects with parks including Shenandoah National Park, Steamtown National Historic Site, and the Chesapeake Bay Project. Also included are notes on ASLA meetings, sustainable operation in the NPS, sustainable design, 75th anniversary implementation, regional directors meetings, and House appropriation hearings.

Reynolds’ notebooks from this time as NPS deputy director (1993-1996) include his notes and thoughts on the reorganization of the NPS including Roger Kennedy’s White Paper, restructuring and streamlining, personnel actions, the SES, and the NLC. Also included are notes on possible new parks, concessions, sustainable practices, budgets and funding, the Presidio, the Native American Rights Fund, the NPS legislative program, the House appropriations meeting, the government shutdown, the Ellis Island Bridge, the Timbisha study, the DOI diversity task force, and Reynolds’ travel to Russia. The notebooks also contain Reynolds’ outlines and notes for speeches and training courses, particularly on sustainability.

Reynolds’ notebooks as director of the Pacific West Region (1997-2002) record projects for parks including, Presidio of San Francisco, Channel Islands National Park, Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Mojave National Preserve. Also included are his notes on regional objectives, the education initiative, the National Cluster meeting, the Timbisha study, resource stewardship, the NPS diversity plan, concessions, NLC, advisory board, and regional directors’ meetings, and Reynolds’ presentation on the history of sustainability in the NPS. Reynolds also notes his travel for the World Heritage Committee and work with the ALSA and LAF.

The notebooks from Reynolds’ post NPS retirement years focus on his work with the National Park Foundation. Included are notes on NPS/NPF partnership committee meetings, NPF board meetings, Reynolds’ travel to Germany and trips to various parks. Also present are entries about Reynolds’ work on the Flight 93 Advisory Committee. Additionally, there are notebooks dedicated to his work on the National Parks Second Century Commission and the Captain John Smith National Historic Trail Advisory Council.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Container List

BOX 01

Folder 01: 1978, February 28–March 27

Folder 02: 1978, March 27–May 19

Folder 03: 1979, January 2–July 18

Folder 04: 1979, June 22–August 31

Folder 05: 1981, August 10–1982, August 20

Folder 06: 1982, August–1985, July

Folder 07: 1984, September 25–1985, November 20

Folder 08: 1986, January 6–March 18

BOX 02

Folder 01: 1986, March 19–1987, August 18

Folder 02: 1987, August 18–1988, December

Folder 03: 1990, January–December

Folder 04: 1991, May 3–August 27

Folder 05: 1991, August 28–1992, February 11

Folder 06: 1991, December 6 – December 19

Folder 07: 1992, February 19–June 2

BOX 03

Folder 01: 1992, June 9–October 1

Folder 02: 1992, October 1–1993 March

Folder 03: 1993, March 15–June 1

Folder 04: 1993, June 7–September 13

Folder 05: 1993, September 13–December 29

Folder 06: 1993, December 29–1994, March 24

Folder 07: 1994, March 24–September 7

Folder 08: 1994, September 13–1995, April 5

BOX 04

Folder 01: 1995, April 5–November 30

Folder 02: 1995, December 1–1996, August 29

Folder 03: 1996, September 17–1997, January 17

Folder 04: 1997, January 22–April 24

Folder 05: 1997, April 25–November 24

Folder 06: 1997, November 25–1998, April 2

Folder 07: 1998, April 3–September 22

BOX 05

Folder 01: 1999, May 1–2007, January 16

Folder 02: 1999, October 29–2000, April 1

Folder 03: 2000, December 12–2001, April 5

Folder 04: 2001, August 15–November 6

Folder 05: 2001, November 14–2002, April 4

Folder 06: 2002, April 4–July 10

Folder 07: 2002, September 9–2003, October 3

BOX 06

Folder 01: 2003, October 8–2004, October 6

Folder 02: 2004, October 14–2005, August 20

Folder 03: 2008, June 24–2011, June 27, undated

Folder 04: 2008, October 27 – 2009, January 28, undated

PHOTO BOX 01

This box contains color photographs separated from across Series VI.

Navigate back to collection overview.

Series VII: Photographs and Scrapbook, 1948-2005, undated

Extent of the series: 0.7 LF

Scope and Content Note

Professional and personal photographs of John Reynolds, including 4x6, 5x3.5, 5x7, 5.5x14, 8x6, 8x10, 8x12, 9.5x7.5 10x6.75, 11x8.5, 11x14, 12x8 black-and-white and color prints. The majority are images of Reynolds with NPS colleagues. Featured events include the Eastern Service Center Christmas party (1969), endangered species ceremony (1994), Redwood National Parks’ 25th anniversary celebration (1994), house appropriation hearings (1995), topping of the national Christmas tree ceremonies (1995), Death Valley Days and the celebration of the passage of the Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act at Death Valley (1999), and opening of the Manzanar visitors center (2004). Included are group photographs of the mid-level manager leadership training class (1970), superintendents’ conference at Death Valley (1984), Denver Service Center meeting of associate regional directors of professional services (1989), Senior Executive Service candidate training (1991), house appropriation hearings (1994), NPS restructuring team (1994/1995), and Intermountain field area superintendents conference (1996).

There are images of Reynolds with former NPS directors Horace Albright, George B. Hartzog, and Roger Kennedy and images of Reynolds with First Lady Hillary Clinton and Second Lady Tipper Gore. Also included are images from Reynolds’ time at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park. Personal images include photographs of Reynolds with his wife Bobbie and son Mike, along with some family photographs. Reynolds’ childhood photographs show what it was like to grow up in Yellowstone National Park in the 1940s. They also document three generations of NPS employees (Reynolds’ father Harvey and sons John and Bob). A group photo of the superintendents’ conference at Great Smokies National Park (1955) in included. One scrapbook containing, letters, notes, and cards commemorating Reynolds’ time at Denver Service Center and congratulating him on the position of director of the Mid-Atlantic Region (1993).

Arrangement

Unarranged.

Container List

BOX 01

Folder 01: Denver Service Center Farewell Album, 1993

PHOTO BOX 01

This box contains color photographs.

PHOTO BOX 02

This box contains black-and-white photographs.

Explore More!

Looking for something else? Our NPS History Collection finding aids are available to help with your research.

Where this belongs

• Gateway National Recreation Area
• Lowell National Historical Park
• North Cascades National Park
• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Where this page came from

This page was imported from National Park Service. Produced by the U.S. National Park Service and, as a work of the United States government, in the public domain.

Nobody has written it yet — it is the source material at a new address, which is why search engines are asked to skip it and why no one earns from it. It is up for grabs: take it on, and it is yours to rewrite and to earn from.